Happy Monday, everyone! Snow has returned to my neck of the woods here in Colorado and it is cold. After temperatures in the mid to upper 60’s last week and even a day of low 70’s the snow is reminding me of how eager I am for spring to finally arrive.

For many of us the excitement of a new season is a great time to get down to some deep cleaning, removal of clutter, and simplifying our lives  so that we do not enter a new season bogged down baggage from the past. It is amazing how getting rid of things we no longer need frees us emotionally and spiritually as well.

Last year I came upon a really great practice when doing deep cleaning and I thought I would share it with you. Last spring I decided to take everything out of my bedroom so that I could wash everything from the walls to the baseboards and floor. When the room was empty I was amazed at how unattached I was to the room. It was empty of  “me”. There were no memories to cling to, just an empty room. For a moment I felt completely free. It was a wonderful feeling. I needed a place to sleep so little by little I put several items back into the room. However, I was very careful to put back only things I truly needed. I also picked a few select items that reminded me of people I love. This was a little more tricky because I wanted to be mindful that each object was like a contemplative piece to remind me of those I care about and special times in my life without putting undue attachment to the object itself. I did the same with my living room and fell in love with the simplicity of these two rooms. They are simple, clean rooms with objects that remind me of those I love.

So, if like me you are in a spring cleaning mood and ready to get rid of some clutter, the process is quite easy:

• Take everything out of  a room and scrub it from top to bottom.
• Look at your room as if it was a blank canvas and decide what items you would like to bring back for functionality. If you have ripped ottomans or a chair you never really liked, do not bring those items back into the room.
• Look at your art and knick knacks. Bring back into the room a few very select items that have personal value to you and that you truly love and enjoy. Do not bring back in any art or knick knacks that mean nothing to you just to fill up space. These are just things to collect dust and drain you of energy. It is time to let these things go.
• Be honest about book, CD, and movie collections. Most of us have dozens if not hundreds of such items that we will never read, watch, or listen to again. Honestly, if in five years you think you may want to watch that movie again, it will most likely be on Netflix or Amazon. No reason for you to trip over it or have to take it off the shelf to dust for the next 1,825 days.
• Donate everything else and enjoy how peaceful and free your room feels now.

This is an ongoing process for me. I still have items that belonged to my mother that I do not know how valuable they are or if my nieces will want them in the future. Each year I get closer to my goals and I now have two rooms in my home I can honestly say “everything in this room has a purpose or meaning for me.” It is a great feeling. 🙂

As always, I would love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by the blog!

Until next time,

Laura